Reflecting on my Love of Nature

It was a beautiful day yesterday. I headed out for a long morning paddle in my kayak. The water was still and the only sound I heard was the paddle dipping into the water, propelling me forward. There was magic in the sound of it. For an instant, I thought I was in a heaven so many of us metaphorically imagine.

The turtles jumped into the water with a splash that let me know I had indeed disrupted their morning. Birds flew overhead, frogs jumped in and out of the water. A single lily floated on the water, and my heart exploded into a million pieces. A beaver dam in the distance made by an artisan with exacting determination made me stop and stare at my surroundings. I stopped paddling, this time closing my eyes, and listened to the universe speaking to me. As I opened my eyes, I realized just how beautiful the planet earth is, and yet it’s becoming less a part of some people’s lives.

I was, and always am, taken aback by the glory of nature. And on this morning, I could not help but wonder what would happen if lakes were gone – if one day, man’s greed would destroy this awe inspiring vision before me? A report from Environment America Research and Policy Center shows that industrial facilities discharged 226 million pounds of toxic chemicals into America’s rivers and streams in 2010.

We fail to see the impact on our environment as we continue to greedily consume anything and everything around us. Our oneness, our connection to life, has been replaced not only by greed but by the insistence that life only happens in front of a computer screen. Today’s youth are less and less connected to nature. I worry that a generation disconnected from nature’s beauty will one day forget to protect it.

Today, I send out these words with a series of photos of my morning kayak. Embrace the air and lakes as much as you embrace one another – get outside, wander in the forests, swim in the oceans and see the paintings provided by a greater power.

Click the thumbnails for larger images and a slide show!